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Cooking is something I love to do and have been doing since I was a young girl. I remember starting off being taught by my grandmother how to tend to a garden and how to cook food that grows with the seasons. Yet today they might say what is growing locally and in your area. I use to sit next to my grandmother in her lap snapping peas, and with my own mom as she taught me how to cut greens and make her famous homemade gravy.

I've become so attuned from being around food at and early age and seeing it grow out of the ground in front of my own eyes. Really gave me a respect for food and the value it holds. Because of that, I picked up on how to cook with my senses and from the heart. Which when you cook from the heart it becomes really some of the best cooking you will ever eat each and every single time.

With being able to cook from an early age I learned how to cook a lot quicker and make the same great food in a short amount of time and have it taste just as great. That is why I want to share with you this super simple easy shepherds pie recipe. Some people get turned off by making shepherds pie because they feel they have to do all those extra steps like cook the meat and peel the potatoes.

Now, you do have to cook the meat and peel the potatoes the only difference is that I only make shepherd's pie when I make smashed potatoes the day the before.

That's right I like smashed potatoes not the regular russet potatoes, they take way to long to peel and to big for me. I prefer the yellow golden taste of the Yukon gold potatoes. So in order to make this dish, you need to plan it out the day before by making mashed potatoes the day before and making enough for two separate meals. One for the dish the first night and enough to top the shepherd's pie the second night.

Once you have all that let's get started. 😉

I only make shepherd's pie in a cast iron skillet the meat cooks a lot quicker and I can just turn it into a one pot meal and transfer the whole dish to oven right afterward.

First, you need to add some chopped onion and olive in the skillet to saute down a bit. Next ground the meat (grass fed) preferred in the skillet. While the meat is browning you can add whatever meat seasonings you prefer, I like to use regular old of all seasons salt. Once the meat is cooked to your liking then add in some butter and a little bit of flour. Just enough to give it a little bit of texture and thicken it up a bit. I then pour in some beef broth a little extra salt and pepper and let it simmer down a bit just enough to thicken it up slightly a little more.

When it has simmered a bit I then add in the corn and peas for the shepherd's pie. Just enough to warm it up. Then finish the dish with the smashed Yukon potatoes skin and all I made the day before. I top the potatoes on top and load on the cheese. I like to use the organic Mexican shredded cheese package since it's loaded with different types of cheeses.

Pop that bad boy in the oven for about 10-15 minutes to heat up the toppings and melt the cheese.

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Lately, I have been experimenting with trying to get away from anything that comes out of a can. I grew up with a mom who was a great cook, but as anyone knows if you have parents that grew up during the industrial age. When big food corporations were taking shape. You have some experience with being fed sauces out of can. One thing I know she loved to make was baked cream of chicken, which was always delicious and still one of my favorite meals to this day.

I love some cream of chicken over some rice or whipped up with a batch of broccoli and cheese casserole…..Yummy! 😉 😉

When I cook depending on what I'm making, I will usually not measure.

I've learned to cook by using my five senses, you know. Taste, Sight, Smell, Touch…etc

Cooking is something that can be changed and altered based on your own personal preferences. So feel free to change up the recipe as you would like and add or remove what you deem necessary.

Ingredients:

1/4 cup of flour

I like my sauces a little thick, so that I'm able to use it as gravy later on if I choose too, depending on what I'm making. So use less flour if you need too.

1 cup of Organic whole whipping Cream

2 cups of homemade chicken broth, sometimes I supplement with Bone Broth just to get more minerals for the kids.

4 tablespoons of Butter

1 Tablespoon of olive oil

Pinch or two of Real Organic Sea Salt

Pepper to taste

Simply Organic All Seasons Salt

I like to use Emeril's Poultry Seasoning, just a dash, though.

2 garlic cloves

I like my sauces a little thick so that I'm able to use it as gravy later on if I choose too, depending on what I'm making.

The first thing is to chop the onions, garlic, while you prepare the other ingredients. You then need to add some olive oil to the pan and sweat the onions and garlic out in the pan on medium to high heat. Then add the butter to the pan, once melted add some flour based on how thick you want it. Add a little more or a little less. The butter will form in a paste or a roux which gives the sauce a nice consistency. Some people use cornstarch or arrowroot to thicken their sauces.

I like to use plain organic white flour.

Do not burn the roux.

Once mixed in add your seasonings to it. I like to add my seasonings into the roux, In my head, I think the flavors develop a lot quicker this way. 😉 But you can add the seasonings in after the liquids, its up to you. You can then add the 2 cups of chicken broth or bone broth. Adjust to taste from here, based on your preferences.

Whisk Briskly!

You can then add the cream a little more salt and pepper, from here just let it simmer a little to let the flavors blend well together. Once done you can store in mason jars in the fridge, or any containers that you would like to use in the future.

I'm on a mission to get away from cans as much as possible, right now I'm about 90% off the can and the other 10 I'm working on it.

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I had the chance to make a really delicious dish last night, one that was really really good! Sometimes it can be a struggle finding recipes that my whole family enjoys and will eat all together at one time. Trial and error is something that I have come to realize when you have kids. They all have different palates and like to eat different ways, and when you have four small little ones like I do all of different ages. Ranging from 2 – 10 your bound to have picky eaters. However, I always cook to please them, and sometimes I like to please my self by making gourmet meals that are light, tasty and seems as if you have brought the restaurant right into your own home. I love seafood and pasta, that combination has always been my favorite .

So I decided to try out a new creamy seafood dish, that I have been eying for quite some time now, I said what the hell. Tonight's my night and if they don't like it than to bad. (just kidding)

The seafood dish is called The Alla Betsey Creation by Ree Drummond whose sister came up with the dish for a girls night out sort of thing. Ree's Book is called The Pioneer Woman Cooks – Recipes from an Accidental CountryGirland features very mouth watering dishes. That are so easy to make and does not require a lot of effort. Even the novice cook can get this cookbook and begin cooking like a pro. Because the Pioneer Woman lays everything out in visual detail and side by side order telling you what to do step by step. This is a great starter book for anyone wanting to learn how to cook and a great gift to give a new mom to be at a baby shower. I have to used this book time and time again and have never been dissapointed yet.

ok, enough about the book.

The recipe that I choose was Alla Betsey a seafood pasta combination that is to die for, I had no idea that when I would start to eat this pasta dish that it was going to be that good.

A total Shocker, but in a good way.

Here is a picture below of the dish when it was finally completed.

I decided that when I was making the dish I would not switch out the penne pasta for whole wheat pasta but use, Farfalle Pasta which is just as good and does not include all that nasty chemicals and gives a more authentic flavor.

The entire meal only consists of a couple of ingredients and produce you already have in your fridge.

1 pound of penne pasta

1 pound of large shrimp, however I used a pound and a half. ( I have a large family)

Clean the shrimp and devin, uncooked large shrimp, than in a small non-stick skillet add the 1 tablespoon of butter and the 1 tablespoon of olive oil. When pan is hot add the shrimp stir and cook until pink. Remove the shrimp to a plate to cool and drain the juice out of the pan. Chop the shrimp into bite size pieces. Next chop the onion and in the same skillet add the remaining butter and olive oil until melted. Add the onion and garlic and cook about 3 minutes until translucent. Pour in the white wine and reduce until it is almost evaporated. Pour in the tomato sauce simmer for about a minute, than add the cream on low. Mix well and reduce to simmer. Finish by adding the shrimp to the pan, add the herbs salt and pepper to taste. Add the cooked pasta, stir to mix well and fully coated and serve warm.

Remember to cook the pasta first before you do anything to al dente and sit aside while you do every thing else.